Poll shows Americans want battles over health care law to stop

WASHINGTON — In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to largely uphold President Obama’s health care law, a majority of Americans now want to put the fight over the Affordable Care Act behind them, a new national survey indicates.

Fifty-six percent of Americans believe opponents of the law should “stop trying to block its implementation and instead move on to other national problems,” according to the poll by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

By contrast, just 38 percent said those opposed to the Affordable Care Act should “continue trying to block the law from being implemented.”

The survey of 1,239 adults — conducted over three days following the Supreme Court’s historic decision last Thursday — did not pick up major changes in Americans’ overall view of the sweeping legislation that Obama signed in 2010.

The law, as it has for years, splits the nation, with 41 percent saying they have a favorable view of the law and 41 percent saying they have an unfavorable view.

And the law continues to generate dramatically different feelings among Democrats and Republicans.

More than eight in ten Democrats say opponents should move following the Supreme Court decision, while nearly seven in ten Republicans say opponents should keep fighting the law.

Independents are more inclined to move on, as 51 percent say it is time to implement the law, and just 35 percent say they want to see opponents continuing to resist.

The Kaiser survey also found that the Supreme Court decision has intensified Democratic support for the law. But 31 percent of Republicans say the decision makes it more likely they will vote in December; just 18 percent of Democrats say the same thing.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. For results based on subgroups, the margin of error may be higher.